542 research outputs found

    Building lighting energy consumption modelling with hybrid neural-statistic approaches

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    "In the proposed work we aim at modelling building lighting energy consumption. We compared several classical methods to the latest Artificial Intelligence. modelling technique: Artificial Neural Networks Ensembling (ANNE). Therefore, in this study we show how we built the ANNE and a new hybrid model based on the. statistical-ANNE combination. Experimentation has been carried out over a three. months data set coming from a real office building located in the ENEA ‘Casaccia’. Research Centre. Experimental results show that the proposed hybrid statistical-ANNE approach can get a remarkable improvement with respect to the best classical method(the statistical one).

    NGF-response of EGF-dependent progenitor cells obtained from human sympathetic ganglia

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    SIGNALLING molecules are thought to play a significant role in determining the fate of neural crest progenitor cells. The human sympathetic chain was identified at 6.5, 7.5, 8.2, 10.2 and 11.4 postconception (PC) weeks demonstrating low affinity nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors, and was processed for tissue culture. In the presence of epidermal growth factor (EGF), floating spheres of proliferating progenitor cells were developed in vitro. In the absence of EGF progenitor cells differentiated into tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive neuronal and TH-negative flat cells. NGF treatment significantly increased neurite outgrowth and survival of TH-immunoreactive cells. The multipotent cells we isolated differ from previously reported sympathoadrenal progenitors in that they give rise to TH immunoreactive neurones precociously sensitive to NGF

    A scalable cellular implementation of parallel genetic programming

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    EXPERIMENTAL DETERMINATION OF LAMINAR BURNING VELOCITY OF BIOGAS AT PRESSURES UP TO 5 BAR

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    This paper presents a very detailed description of a new cylindrical constant volume combustion chamber designed for laminar burning velocity determination of gaseous mixtures at ambient temperature and initial pressure up to 6 bar. The experimental setup, the experimental procedure and the determination of the range of flame radius for laminar burning determination are all described in details. The laminar burning velocity of twelve synthetic biogas mixtures has been studied. Initial pressure varying between 1 and 5 bar, equivalence ratios, f, between 0.7 and 1.1 and percentage dilution, with a mixture of CO2 and N2, between 35 and 55% have been considered. Five experiments were run for each mixture providing a maximum percentage standard deviation of 8.11%. However, for two third of the mixtures this value is lower than 3.55%. A comparison with simulation using PREMIX for both GRI-Mech 3.0 and San Diego mechanisms has provided closer agreement for mixtures with equivalence ratio closer to stoichiometry whereas for f = 0.7 the deviation is larger than 15% for all pressures. Mixtures with lower equivalence ratio, higher dilution percentage and higher initial pressure presents the lower values of laminar burning velocity

    Bi-Objective Community Detection (BOCD) in Networks using Genetic Algorithm

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    A lot of research effort has been put into community detection from all corners of academic interest such as physics, mathematics and computer science. In this paper I have proposed a Bi-Objective Genetic Algorithm for community detection which maximizes modularity and community score. Then the results obtained for both benchmark and real life data sets are compared with other algorithms using the modularity and MNI performance metrics. The results show that the BOCD algorithm is capable of successfully detecting community structure in both real life and synthetic datasets, as well as improving upon the performance of previous techniques.Comment: 11 pages, 3 Figures, 3 Tables. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:0906.061

    Rapid detection of copy number variations and point mutations in BRCA1/2 genes using a single workflow by ion semiconductor sequencing pipeline

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    Molecular analysis of BRCA1 (MIM# 604370) and BRCA2 (MIM #600185) genes is essential for familial breast and ovarian cancer prevention and treatment. An efficient, rapid, cost-effective accurate strategy for the detection of pathogenic variants is crucial. Mutations detection of BRCA1/2 genes includes screening for single nucleotide variants (SNVs), small insertions or deletions (indels), and Copy Number Variations (CNVs). Sanger sequencing is unable to identify CNVs and therefore Multiplex Ligation Probe amplification (MLPA) or Multiplex Amplicon Quantification (MAQ) is used to complete the BRCA1/2 genes analysis. The rapid evolution of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies allows the search for point mutations and CNVs with a single platform and workflow. In this study we test the possibilities of NGS technology to simultaneously detect point mutations and CNVs in BRCA1/2 genes, using the OncomineTM BRCA Research Assay on Personal Genome Machine (PGM) Platform with Ion Reporter Software for sequencing data analysis (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Comparison between the NGS-CNVs, MLPA and MAQ results shows how the NGS approach is the most complete and fast method for the simultaneous detection of all BRCA mutations, avoiding the usual time consuming multistep approach in the routine diagnostic testing of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers

    Molecular analysis of sarcomeric and non-sarcomeric genes in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

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    Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common genetic heart disorder characterized by unexplained left ventricle hypertrophy associated with non-dilated ventricular chambers. Several genes encoding heart sarcomeric proteins have been associated to HCM, but a small proportion of HCM patients harbor alterations in other non-sarcomeric loci. The variable expression of HCM seems influenced by genetic modifier factors and new sequencing technologies are redefining the understanding of genotype–phenotype relationships, even if the interpretations of the numerous identified variants pose several challenges. Methods and results: We investigated 62 sarcomeric and non-sarcomeric genes in 41 HCM cases and in 3 HCM-related disorders patients. We employed an integrated approach that combines multiple tools for the prediction, annotation and visualization of functional variants. Genotype–phenotype correlations were carried out for inspecting the involvement of each gene in age onset and clinical variability of HCM. The 80% of the non-syndromic patients showed at least one rare non-synonymous variant (nsSNV) and among them, 58% carried alterations in sarcomeric loci, 14% in desmosomal and 7% in other non-sarcomeric ones without any sarcomere change. Statistical analyses revealed an inverse correlation between the number of nsSNVs and age at onset, and a relationship between the clinical variability and number and type of variants. Conclusions: Our results extend the mutational spectrum of HCM and contribute in defining the molecular pathogenesis and inheritance pattern(s) of this condition. Besides, we delineate a specific procedure for the identification of the most likely pathogenetic variants for a next generation sequencing approach embodied in a clinical context

    PARP inhibitors affect growth, survival and radiation susceptibility of human alveolar and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines

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    PARP inhibitors (PARPi) are used in a wide range of human solid tumours but a limited evidence is reported in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most frequent childhood soft-tissue sarcoma. The cellular and molecular effects of Olaparib, a specific PARP1/2 inhibitor, and AZD2461, a newly synthesized PARP1/2/3 inhibitor, were assessed in alveolar and embryonal RMS cells both as single-agent and in combination with ionizing radiation (IR)

    Synthesis of Diiodo-Functionalized Benzo[b] furans via Electrophilic Iodocyclization

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    An electrophilic iodocyclization reaction involving alkynylated 2-iodoanisoles and molecular iodine in the presence of sodium bicarbonate was developed and diiodo-functionalized benzo[b] furans were obtained in yields from 45 to 99%.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq)Fundacao de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciencia e Tecnologia do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul (FUNDECT)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)Fundacao Univ Fed Grande Dourados, Grp Pesquisa Sintese & Caracterizacao Mol MS, Rua Joao Rosa Goes,1761, BR-79825070 Dourados, MS, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Inst Ciencias Ambientais Quim & Farmaceut, Rua Prof Artur Riedel,275, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Inst Ciencias Ambientais Quim & Farmaceut, Rua Prof Artur Riedel,275, BR-09972270 Diadema, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc

    CLASH-VLT: Testing the Nature of Gravity with Galaxy Cluster Mass Profiles

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    We use high-precision kinematic and lensing measurements of the total mass profile of the dynamically relaxed galaxy cluster MACS J1206.2-0847 at z=0.44z=0.44 to estimate the value of the ratio η=Ψ/Φ\eta=\Psi/\Phi between the two scalar potentials in the linear perturbed Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker metric.[...] Complementary kinematic and lensing mass profiles were derived from exhaustive analyses using the data from the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) and the spectroscopic follow-up with the Very Large Telescope (CLASH-VLT). Whereas the kinematic mass profile tracks only the time-time part of the perturbed metric (i.e. only Φ\Phi), the lensing mass profile reflects the contribution of both time-time and space-space components (i.e. the sum Φ+Ψ\Phi+\Psi). We thus express η\eta as a function of the mass profiles and perform our analysis over the radial range 0.5 Mpc≤r≤r200=1.96 Mpc0.5\,Mpc\le r\le r_{200}=1.96\,Mpc. Using a spherical Navarro-Frenk-White mass profile, which well fits the data, we obtain \eta(r_{200})=1.01\,_{-0.28}^{+0.31} at the 68\% C.L. We discuss the effect of assuming different functional forms for mass profiles and of the orbit anisotropy in the kinematic reconstruction. Interpreting this result within the well-studied f(R)f(R) modified gravity model, the constraint on η\eta translates into an upper bound to the interaction length (inverse of the scalaron mass) smaller than 2 Mpc. This tight constraint on the f(R)f(R) interaction range is however substantially relaxed when systematic uncertainties in the analysis are considered. Our analysis highlights the potential of this method to detect deviations from general relativity, while calling for the need of further high-quality data on the total mass distribution of clusters and improved control on systematic effects.Comment: 18 pages, 3 figures, submitted to JCA
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